Azure’s combined metric for database performance measuring CPU, memory, and I/O.
DTU is a metric unique to Azure SQL Database that combines CPU, memory, and I/O into a single unit of measure. It represents the relative power of a database in terms of its transaction processing capability. Microsoft developed DTUs to simplify the process of selecting performance levels for Azure SQL databases. One DTU represents a blended measure of compute, memory, and I/O resources. Higher DTU levels indicate more resources and better performance. Azure offers various service tiers (Basic, Standard, Premium) with different DTU allocations. Understanding DTU requirements helps organizations properly size their databases and manage costs effectively. Microsoft also offers eDTUs (elastic DTUs) for elastic pools, allowing shared resources across multiple databases.
